The Impact Of English Teaching Based On Embodied Cognition Theory On Junior Students’ Vocabulary Learning

Vocabulary is the basis of the development of the listening,speaking,reading,and writing skills and is of great significance in English teaching.Embodied cognition theory,as the beginning of the second-generation cognitive science,redefines the relations of body,cognition,and situation,emphasizing the important role that body plays in the process of learning.In recent years,some scholars have attempted to apply embodied cognition theory into English teaching and learning,providing a new perspective for exploring new instructional methods.On the theoretical basis of embodied cognition theory,the thesis puts forward the vocabulary teaching strategies and uses these teaching strategies in the real classrooms to explore the effects of such kind of embodied teaching on junior students’ vocabulary learning.Two research questions are put forward in this thesis as follows:1)What impact does the English teaching based on embodied cognition theory have on junior students’ vocabulary learning strategies?2)What impact does the English teaching based on embodied cognition theory have on junior students’ performance in vocabulary learning?The experiment involved a total of 96 students in Grade Seven from a junior high school in Guangzhou.Students are divided into two classes,the experimental class(EC)and the control class(CC),with 48 students for each class.Before the experiment,the pre-test and pre-questionnaire were conducted in both EC and CC to examine whether there is a significant difference between them in vocabulary proficiency and the use of vocabulary learning strategy.During the experiment,EC adopted the English teaching based on embodied cognition theory,while CC used the traditional vocabulary teaching method.To investigate the use of vocabulary learning strategy and their performance in vocabulary learning in EC and CC after the experiment,the post-test and post-questionnaire were used to collect the data and the data were analyzed with the aid of SPSS20.0.The results show that the English teaching based on embodied cognition theory exerts a positive effect on junior students’ vocabulary learning.Specifically,(1)the English teaching based on embodied cognition theory can promote junior students’ use frequency of vocabulary learning strategy,especially cognitive strategies and activation strategies.But the effect on improving the use of meta-cognitive strategies is not significant;(2)the English teaching based on embodied cognition theory can improve junior students’ performance in vocabulary learning.Hence,it is plausible to apply embodied cognition theory to English teaching in junior high school,which also enriches the empirical study of embodied cognition theory in English teaching.The research suggests that in vocabulary teaching,teachers should make good use of students’ various senses,create contexts for students,and focus on the development of students’ metaphorical thought so as to promote students’ use of vocabulary learning strategy and their performance in learning,and finally improve their vocabulary proficiency.